Jeannie Larsen sent us this photo of a tree that was blown down Wednesday and blocked Myers Lake Rd, near Pringle, in Nelson Township (near Sand Lake).

Firefighters, police, and other first responders were kept busy Wednesday as high winds swept across the area, toppling trees and taking down telephone poles and electrical wires. There were various reports of trees blocking the roadway, falling through roofs, electrical wires down, and sporadic brush fires.

Power outages were also a big problem for many in the area. Power went off early in the day for many residents (about 10:30 a.m.). At 5 p.m., 38,000 in Kent County were without power, and 210,000 statewide. Consumers Energy said that harder hit areas may not have power back until late Saturday.